BC-AP Americas Digest

Jan. 24, 2014

TOP STORIES:

NUCLEAR MISSTEPS

WASHINGTON — It began with his brief mention last fall of "troubling lapses" in the nuclear force. Weeks later Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel turned up the heat a notch by paying a rare visit to a nuclear missile base. And then he dropped his bombshell: a demand for quick answers to what ails this most sensitive of military missions. By Robert Burns.

AP Photo.

UNITED STATES-IRAN

WASHINGTON — Vast differences between Iran and the six-nation coalition seeking to dismantle the Islamic republic's nuclear program may lead to another short-term deal — and that could renew criticism that Iran is stalling and energize the push in Congress for tougher sanctions even if they endanger negotiations. By Julie Pace and Bradle Klapper.

AP Photos.

JUSTIN BIEBER-ARREST

MIAMI BEACH, Florida — Justin Bieber was a mop-haired heartthrob, clean cut and charming when he debuted five years ago. But a series of troubling incidents have put his innocent image at risk, and none more so than his arrest on drunken-driving charges. By Curt Anderson and Jennifer Kay.

AP Photos, video.

NSA SURVEILLANCE

WASHINGTON — A government review panel warns that the National Security Agency's daily collection of Americans' phone records is illegal and recommends that President Barack Obama abandon the program and destroy the hundreds of millions of phone records it has already collected. By Stephen Braun.

AP Photos.

CANADA-QUEBEC FIRE

L'ISLE-VERTE, Quebec — A fire that raged through a seniors' home in eastern Quebec traps residents dependent on wheelchairs and walkers, leaving five died and about 30 missing. Canada's prime minister said there was little doubt the death toll would climb.

AP Photos.

ARGENTINA-ECONOMY

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina — The peso is suffering its fastest fall since Argentina's 2002 economic collapse as dwindling reserves keep the Central Bank from trying to prop up the currency by intervening in the foreign exchange market.

AP Photos.

GUANTANAMO-SEPT 11 TRIAL

MIAMI — A Guantanamo Bay prisoner charged with taking part in the Sept. 11 terrorist attack is not cooperating with a court-ordered effort to determine if he is mentally competent to stand trial, his lawyer says.

BUSINESS & FINANCE:

OIL TRAINS-KEYSTONE

WASHINGTON — A government warning about the dangers of increased use of trains to transport crude oil is giving a boost to supporters of the long-delayed Keystone XL pipeline. By Matthew Daly.

AP Photo.

ECUADOR-VENEZUELA-AIRLINE

CARACAS, Venezuela — The Ecuadorean airline Tame suspends its once-daily flights to and from Venezuela until that country's cash-strapped government pays it $43 million owed for ticket sales. The carrier was the first to halt flights to Venezuela, whose socialist government owes carriers a total of $3.3 billion, according to Venezuela's airlines association. By Fabiola Sanchez.

AP Photos.

EARNS-MICROSOFT

LOS ANGELES — Microsoft Corp. reports revenue and earnings for its fiscal second quarter that topped Wall Street expectations, as the company sold 3.9 million Xbox One consoles to retailers and doubled revenue from its line of Surface tablets from a quarter earlier. By Ryan Nakashima.

AP Photo.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT:

BIEBER ARREST-YOUNG STARS BIG TROUBLE

UNDATED — Justin Bieber's arrest suspicion of driving under the influence and other offenses adds his name, and mug shot, to the gallery of stars who enjoyed early success and eventually ended up in handcuffs.

AP Photos.

FEATURES:

MEXICO-DRINK THE WATER

MEXICO CITY — Drink the water. It's a phrase not often heard in Mexico, where people have been told to do anything but drink from the tap. It's an uphill battle, but Mexico City's legislature just approved a law requiring all restaurants to install purification systems and filters to offer customers water and fight Mexico's dual problem: one of the world's highest obesity rates in the world and one of the highest bottled-water consumption. By Adriana Gomez Licon.